Instrument for ascertaining direction in marching or traveling.



No. 736,925.. PATENTED AUG. 25, 1903.

- J. VON BEZARD.

INSTRUMENT FOR ASGERTAINLNG DIRECTION IN MARCHING OR TRAVELING. Arlfmornon 11mm pm. '3. 1903.

H0 MODEL.

Johann Him 5V i .WlTNEES 1m.

I UNITED STATES Patented August 25, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

INSTRUMENT FOR ASCERTAINING DIRECTION IN MARCHING 0R TRAVELING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 736,925, dated August 25, 1903.

Application filed January 3, 1903. Serial No. 137.699. (N0 model.)

To (LZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, J OHANN BITTER VON Bit- ZARD, a subject of the Emperor of Austria Hungary, residing at Neusohl, in the Kingdom of Hungary and Empire of Austria-Hungary, haveinvented a new and useful Improved Instrument forAscertainingDirection in Marching or Travelingand for Similar Purposes,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an instrument which enables the user with the aid of a map to ascertain the direction in which lies a place or object toward which it is desired to march, to travel, or otherwise to operate, although such object is not visible either by reason of its distance or owing to intervening objects, of distances, differences in level, or of. other causes.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the instrument. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same; Fig. 3, a cross-section of the same; Fig. 4, the plan view of the thin sheet supported by the compass-needle, and Fig. 5 shows the instrument in use on a map.

' According to the invention a casing a of suitable shape-say squareis provided and.

in it is mounted upon a pinb a magnetic needle c, as is usual in compasses, circumferentors, and similar instruments. The upper surface of the needle 0 bears a thin sheet or film d, representing, preferably in luminous paint, an arrow 6. White on a dark background will be found convenient. Above the needle is provided a disk g, of glass or other transparent material. The disk is capable of being rotated by a button f or the like. The disk g has, preferably, on the under side a sheet or film h in the form of a strip or band from which has been cut out an arrow 71, ex-

actly such as is carried by or marked on the needle 0. This strip is also conveniently produced in luminous paint. The strip or band it on the disk 9 and the arrow 6 in the needle care such that when the two are exactly in alinement they will appear to the eye as a solid unbroken strip or band on the glass.

At one side of the casing is hinged or otherwise conveniently attached a cover with two wing-pieces. In the latter are provided sights Z of the kind generally employed in surveying instruments. On the face of the casing a and parallel with the line between the sights an arrow m is marked, preferably in luminous paint.

Means are provided for fixing the whole on a tree, post, rail, or other support, so as to permit the needle to work correctly when the instrument is not laid on map or chart. For instance, the pin n, Figs. 1 and 3, may be pushed so that its end will project through the hollow a in the casing, and thus fasten the casing to the support.

In using the instrument it is applied to a map, chart, or the like so that the sight-line (or a part parallel thereto) will be exactly parallel with a straight line drawn from the point of departure 1 to that 2, the direction of which is sought, as marked on the map. The disk 9 is then turned until the arrow 1' in the band or strip h is exactly parallel with a line from north to south on the map. If now the instrument be supported so that the arrowvl on the disk 9 points to the north that is, coincides with the arrow 6 on the needle c-then the arrow m on the casing a points exactly in the direction sought. At this position of the instrument the line between the sights l in the wing-pieces of the cover 70, which line is parallel with the arrow m, goes through all points situated in the line of marching, so that looking through the said sights will permit an intermediary point in the direction of marching to be fixed upon. If this point has been reached, the arrow 6 011 the needle 0 and the arrowvl in the strip h are anew brought in coincidence, so that by looking in the direction of the arrow m or through the sightsl another point in the direction of marching may be found, and so on.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In an instrument for ascertaining direction in marching or traveling and for similar purposes, the combination with the casing, of the magnetic needle, a covering-disk of transparent material, which disk is capable of being rotated, a mark on said disk, a mark on the needle, a mark on the face of the casing, and sights on the cover of the instrument substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

2. In an instrument for ascertaining direction in marching or traveling and for similar purposes, the combination with the casing, of the instrument, the line of sight of said sight the magnetic needle, a covering-disk of transvanes being parallel with the arrow on the parent material, which disk is capable of be face of the casing, substantially as described ing rotated, a strip or band in luminous paint and for the purpose set forth.

5 on said disk, from which strip or band an ar- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my I row has been cut out, an arrow in luminous hand in presence of two witnesses. paint on the magnetic needle, the said arrow JOHANN RITTER VON BEZARD. corresponding to the arrow in the strip or Witnesses: band, an arrow in luminous paint on the face HANS PAPPENHEIM,

10 of the casing and sight-vanes on the cover of ALVESTO S. HOGUE. 

